Gone midnight in Manchester and Billy Joe Saunders is caught between exhaustion, euphoria and a grim determination to be taken seriously as a worthy and upstanding world champion, not fodder for cheap headlines.

“I’m a Gypsy warrior,” he says loudly, beaming, with his young son by his side holding the WBO middleweight belt. “There’s another Gypsy world champion.”

Billy Joe Saunders outsmarts Andy Lee to win WBO middleweight title

Read more

He had just dethroned his fellow Traveller Andy Lee over 12 tense rounds, decking him twice in the third, but he was aware, too, that the media have been hunting down every squeak and indiscretion of the first member of their community to win a world heavyweight title, Tyson Fury. The champion had already landed in Belfast for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday night – but not with any great confidence of having his crown burnished with the further approval of the nation.

Respect is everything in the Traveller community, for oneself and others – and, as Saunders sees it, it has to be mutual. Saunders has sailed close to crass indiscretion more than once. He has just assumed new responsibilities and wants fair treatment.

“I’m not a hating person,” he said. “I have a laugh, I sell a fight with banter. But I’m not a racist, I’ve got nothing against coloureds, Muslims, gays, any nationality, whatever you name. Got nothing against nobody. I just want some decent press now. Don’t slag me off, like they did Tyson Fury.”

As for the loser, Saunders said: “I will say nothing bad about Andy. He’s a true champion but there’s no room for a loser in our community – and I wasn’t being no loser tonight. I’ve had my son here with me since Friday, hadn’t seen him for two months. And I was never going to get beat in front of him tonight. Never in a million years.”

Saunders now has choices across a range of opponents and governing bodies. His promoter, Frank Warren, says he could do a deal “in a heartbeat” with Miguel Cotto, the former WBC champion who took Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez the distance last month.

Cotto is probably at the head of the queue but there are other intriguing options, including the monster of the division, the unbeaten Gennady Golovkin, and Chris Eubank Jr, who looked good stopping the former Saunders victim, Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan in London on 12 December – or even a rematch with Lee.

“Since I’ve been a young boy, I’ve wanted to fight Cotto,” Saunders said. “His style suits me. I’d take it next. After two weeks off, I’d get back into camp. I’d love that fight, it would be a dream – and to go to America and do it, would be an even bigger dream.”

Lee came late to the conversation and stayed for only a couple of moments. He wore darkening bruises around each eye and could not hide his despondency. Saunders continued: “Andy and I put on a good show tonight. A rematch could even go. I’m sure we could do a bigger venue down London. That was a good fight, Andy – a very good fight. Fair play to you. There was no trash talk, just two proper fighting men.”

Lee replied: “We fought our hearts out but two knockdowns cost me the fight. It was a close fight but he deserved to win. I can’t complain about the decision. I would like another go at him. I thought I finished stronger.” With that he was gone.

As for the major irritant on his horizon, Saunders said: “Eubank is fighting people I beat two years ago. Let Eubank go the Golovkin route, the way he said he was going to go, with the WBA. Let him fight Daniel Jacobs or whoever he says he’s fighting.” He admits Golovkin is “18 months down the line” – and Eubank? Saunders gave the impression he could not care less about him, although money will alter that perspective at some point.